News

State political watchdog commission meeting slated for Thursday in San Jose

By Tracy Seipel tseipel@mercurynews.com

Posted:
06/17/2013 05:00:24 PM PDT

Updated:
06/18/2013 06:45:40 AM PDT

SAN JOSE -- The state political watchdog commission that regulates campaign finance and lobbying in California on Thursday will hold its monthly public meeting for the first time in Santa Clara County.

The California Fair Political Practices Commission, created by the Political Reform Act of 1974, will meet from noon to 2 p.m. at the county Board of Supervisors' Chambers at 70 W. Hedding St. in San Jose.

The five-member commission, which since 2011 has been chaired by former Santa Clara County Counsel Ann Ravel, will review 18 cases the commission's staff has investigated and for which it has issued fines. The cases are on everything from money laundering to conflict of interest matters.

Included among the cases to be discussed are those of former state Assembly members Alberto Torrico (D-Newark) and Anna Caballero (D-Salinas). Each has agreed to pay $1,000 in fines to the FPPC for not reporting some campaign expenditures by required deadlines.

In April, the commission fined former Santa Clara County Supervisor George Shirakawa Jr. $50,000 for spending campaign money on things unrelated to political, legislative or governmental purposes.

While most of the commission's meetings are held at its Sacramento headquarters, Ravel has sought to take the meetings on the road "to let people know what the FPPC does," said Chief of Enforcement Gary Winuk, adding that each meeting also offers an opportunity for public participation.